Controller for fluid-pressure motors



(No Model.)

W. H. KNIGHT. CONTROLLER F011 FLUID PRESSURE MoToRs. No. 586,60 5.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IVALTER II. KNIGHT, OF NEW BRIGHTON, NEIV YORK.

CONTROLLER FOR FLUID-PRESSURE MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,605, dated July 20, 1897.

Application led June 3, 1896. Serial No. 594,084. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Brightomin the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Fl uid- Pressure Motors, of which the following is a speciiication.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for placing all of the valves and operating devices oi a Huid-pressure motor under the control of a single controlling device.

Another object vof my invention is to provide the motor-cylinder with automatic vacuum-relief valves which will automatically admit air to the cylinder after the cut-oil^` of the fluid to prevent formation of a partial vacuum behind the piston. These automatic relief-valves are also controlled by a single controlling device, so as to be automatically opened when the iiuid-pressure has been cut oit to enable the motor to` run freely for facilitating coasting, my improved Huid-pressure engine being particularly adapted for motor-cars. To accomplish these objects, I provide an automatic vacuum-relief valve at each end of the motor-cylinder. Suitable connecting devices extend from the valves to the controlling device, whereby they can be simultaneously opened bya movement of the controller. I provide the steam-distributing valve of the motor with any suitable reversing mechanism, which is also connected to the controlling device, and for supplying the compressed air I provide an air-reservoir and a reducing-valve, a high-pressure tl1rottlevalve being interposed between the reservoir and reducing-valve and a low-pressure valve being interposed between the reducing-valve and duid-chest of the motor. Both the highpressure and low-pressure throttle-valves are connected to the controlling-valves to be simultaneously opened or closed thereby. I prefer to include a heater in the system between the reducing-valve and low-pressure 'throttle-valve.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, Iwill vfirst describe the same with reference to the accompanying` drawings and afterward point out the novelty with more particularity in the annexed claims.

In Figure l of said drawings I have represented my invention in diagrammatic sectional elevation, and in Fig. 2 a sectional view of the relief-valve.

A is the engine-cylinder, in which operates the piston B, mounted on the piston-rod O, which is connected to the sliding crosshead D.

E is the crank-shaft,carrying the crank E, which is connected to the cross-head D by the pitman F.

G is the fluid-pressure chest, communicating with the opposite ends of the cylinderA, and G is the distributing sliding valve.

I-I is an ordinary reversing-link suitably connected to the distributing-valve G and adapted to be operated by the eccentrics I on the crank-shaft E.

J is a compressed-air reservoir, and J is a high-pressure throttle-valve located in the supply-pipe extending from said reservoir.

K is a reducing-valve, and L is a heater interposed in the iluid-pressure-supply pipe between the high-pressure throttle-valve and engine.

M is a low-pressure throttle-valve located between the heater and engine. The throttle-valves J and M are suitably connected by toggle-links N, by reason of which they are simultaneously opened or closed.

O is the longitudinally-movable controlling rod, sliding in bearings O. The rod O is pivoted to the knuckle of toggle-links N.

P is the controller-lever, connected through link 1) and bell-crank lever P2 with the longitudinally-movable controller-rod O.

I-I is a bell-crank lever, and H2 is a eonnecting-rod which connects the reversing-link II with the controlling-rod O.

In the opposite ends of the cylinder A are automatic vacuum-relief valves Q. (Shown in the enlarged detail sectional view.)

Q' are bell-crank levers engaging the valvestems of the relief-valves Q and formed with lugs q on their short arms, which are adapted to be engaged by cam-shoulders R on the controller-rod O. By these means the valves Q. are forced open and held open by the controlling mechanism when the throttle is closed, so as to prevent the excessive compression that occurs when the link is at mid-gear, the air as it is compressed passing through the valves Q and into the crank-basin or else around to the other end of the cylinder through by-pass T. lVlien the throttle is open and the motor doing work, the valves Q act as ordinary vacuum relief valves, opening inwardly whenever the pressure in the cylinder falls below the atmosphere. In any ease whether acting as vacuum-relief valves or compression-relief valves the arrangement is such that only pure air free from dust will be admitted to the cylinder from the crankchamber.

The engine is shown at rest with the reversing mechanism in central position, the relief-valves open, and the high and low pressure throttle-valves closed. It will be observed that by moving the hand-lever P in either direction both throttle-valves will be opened while the reversing-link will be moved either upward or downward, and the cylinderrelief valves will be simultaneously allowed to close.

IVhile I have shown mechanism for utilizing the vacuum-relief valves as compressionrelief valves, I may provide separate valves for this purpose, in which case the compression-relief could take the form of a stop-cock or valve placed in a by-pass between the two ends of the cylinder, the controller opening such cock or valve when it closes the throttle, and vice versa. Such a modification is indicated by dotted lines in the drawings, II being a passage communicating between the ends of the cylinder and V a cock in said passage provided with a crank-arm V, connected to controlling-rod O by link IV. This form of relief-valve in a by-pass communicating between the ends of the cylinder is described and claimed in my application, Serial No. 597,328, filed June 29,1896, for improvements in motor-vehicles. I have found that the use of such compression-relief valves not only enables the motor to run free or without power for a much longer time than when they are not used, but also conduces greatly to the smoothness of operation. In air-motors this feature of relieving compression when the motor is running free is especially necessary on account of the fact that the air differs from steam in not condensing. It is particularly valuable in the case of vehicles, where about half the time the motor is coasting, as otherwise if the compression is not relieved there is a very decided retardation. Of course a large part of the energy of compression is returned into mechanical work by subsequent expansion on the back stroke; but owing to the fact that the air is heated to a high degree by compression and some of the heat escapes by radiation there is always a loss by the variation of the energy of compression, amounting to probably about twenty per cent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in an air-motor, of a throttle-valve, or other means of controlling the power of the motor, vacuum-relief valves opening inwardly to relieve the cylinder of vacuum,and mechanism for holding` open said vacuum-valves, said mechanism being connected with the motor-controlling mechanism so that the said vacuum-valves will be held open when the motor is not doing work, in order to relieve the motor of compression occurring at the ends of the stroke.

The combination in an air-motor, of vacuum-relief valves, and means for holding the same open when the motor is not doing work, of a passage or passa-ges communicating with both valves and also with the crank-basin or exhaust-chamber of the motor so that nothing but pure air will be drawn into the cylinder.

A controller for air-motor vehicles construeted to operate the high-pressure throttle leading from the high-pressure reservoirs, the low-pressure throttle, the variable cut-olf, and reversing mechanism, and the compressionrelief valves, with one handle, the off position of the handle closing beth throttles and opening the relief-valves.

4C. The combination of a fluid-pressure engine, provided with a compression relief valve, with a high-pressure reservoir, a throttlc-valve and a controlling device adapted to simultaneously operate the relief-valves and throttle-valve, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a fluid-pressure engine, novided with compression-relief valves and a fluid-distributing valve,suitable reversing mechanism, a fluid-pressure reservoir, a throttle-valve, and controlling means adapted to simultaneously operate the relief-valves, the reversing mechanism and the throttlevalve, substantially as set forth.

C. The combination of a fluid-pressure engine having suitable compression relief valves and a fluid-distributing valve, suitable reversing mechanism, a compressed-air reservoir, a high-pressure throttle-valve, a reducing-valve, a low-pressure throttle-valve, and suitable controlling means adapted to simultaneously operate the cylinder-relief valves, the reversing mechanism and the two throttle-valves, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a Huid-pressure engine, provided with automatic vacuum-relief valves and a .tluid-distributing valve, with a throttle -valve, and a controlling device adapted to open the relief-valves when the throttle-valve is closed and vice versa, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination in a fluid-pressure motor for motor-vehicles, of a motor-cylinder IOO IIO

having,` compression-relief valves, with a nio- Jor-eontrolling; deviee regulating the Supply of i'lnid izo the cylinder and operatively e0nnected with the Compression-relief valves, said controlling device being adapted to simultaneously operate said relief-valves to hold them open when the motor is not doing Work, in order to relieve the cylinder of 00mpression occurring at the ends of Juhe Stroke, substantially as set forth.

WALTER H. KNIGHT. Witnesses:

M. C. BENDER, lvl. V. BIDGOOD. 

